Verbena plant named ‘Duempfre14’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Verbena  plant named ‘Duempfre14’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; freely flowering habit; and large bright red-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Verbena hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘DUEMPFRE14’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Verbena plant, botanically known as Verbena hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Duempfre14’.

The new Verbena plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rheinberg, Germany. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact and semi-upright Verbena plants with numerous large and attractive flowers.

The new Verbena plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in July, 2011 in Rheinberg, Germany of a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number F-22-0618, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Verbena hybrida identified as code number V08-0218-001, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Verbena plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany in May, 2013.

Asexual reproduction of the new Verbena plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Rheinberg, Germany since June, 2013 has shown that the unique features of this new Verbena plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Verbena have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Duempfre14’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Duempfre14’ as a new and distinct Verbena plant:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely branching habit.     -   4. Freely flowering habit.     -   5. Large bright red-colored flowers; flowers held above and         beyond the foliar plane in mounded umbels.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the female parent selection primarily in growth habit as plants of the new Verbena are more vigorous than plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena differ from plants of the male parent selection primarily in flower color as plants of the male parent selection have lighter red-colored flowers. In addition, plants of the new Verbena are more freely branching than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Verbena can be compared to plants of the Verbena hybrida ‘Sunmarired’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,615. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Rheinberg, Germany, plants of the new Verbena differed from plants of ‘Sunmarired’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Verbena had larger leaves than plants of         ‘Sunmarired’.     -   2. Plants of the new Verbena had larger flowers than plants of         ‘Sunmarired’.     -   3. Plants of the new Verbena and ‘Sunmarired’ differed slightly         in flower color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Verbena plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Verbena plant.

The photograph is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Duempfre14’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in 12-cm containers during the summer in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rheinberg, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Verbena production. During the production of the plants, day and night temperatures averaged 18° C. and light levels averaged 4,500 lux. Plants were pinched one time three weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when the photograph and the description were taken. In the description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Verbena hybrida ‘Duempfre14’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number F-22-0618, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of Verbena             hybrida identified as code number V08-0218-001, not             patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About five days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About seven days at             temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About three             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About four             weeks at temperatures about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant habit.—Compact, semi-upright and mounding plant habit;             freely branching habit with about five primary lateral             branches with secondary lateral branches potentially forming             at every node; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and bushy plant habit; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 32 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 60 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 16 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 3 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 3.75 cm.         -   Texture.—Pubescent.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Color.—Close to 144A. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 4.9 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.9 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Lobed.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent, coarse.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 146B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 148C.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 8.4 mm. Diameter: About 2.3 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146C. Color, lower surface: Close to             146C to 146D. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and habit.—Salverform flowers arranged in             hemispherical terminal umbels; umbels dense and mounding;             numerous umbels per plant; flowers face upward or outwardly             depending on position in the umbel; freely flowering habit             with about eight to 16 flowers per inflorescence and about             180 to 220 flowers developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from             the spring through the fall in Germany; plants begin             flowering about eight weeks after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Individual flowers last about one week on             the plant; flowers persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.75 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.8 cm. Diameter: About 4.3 mm.             Shape: Oval to tubular. Color: Close to 45A.         -   Flowers.—Appearance: Salverform, five-parted fused corolla.             Diameter: About 2.2 cm. Depth: About 2.5 cm. Throat             diameter: About 2.25 mm. Tube length: About 2 cm.         -   Corolla.—Arrangement: Single whorl of five fused petals.             Petal lobe length: About 1.2 cm. Petal lobe width: About             1.1 cm. Petal lobe shape: Obovate. Petal lobe apex:             Emarginate. Petal margin: Entire. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Throat texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Tube texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Petal lobe,             when opening, upper surface: Close to 45A. Petal lobe, when             opening, lower surface: Close to 45B. Petal lobe, fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 45B; color becoming closer             to 45C with development. Petal lobe, fully opened, lower             surface: Close to 47C. Throat: Close to 54B and 145C. Tube:             Close to 54A and 145C.         -   Calyx.—Arrangement: Star-shaped calyx with five fused             sepals. Sepal length: About 1.3 cm. Sepal width: About 1 mm.             Sepal shape: Ligulate. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,             coarse. Sepal color, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146A             to 146D.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 4.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 144A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to             144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity and arrangement:             About four per flower, adnate to corolla tube. Anther             length: About 1 mm. Anther shape: Oval. Anther color: Close             to 150B. Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 2D.             Pistils: Quantity: One per flower. Pistil length: About             2.2 cm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to             144A. Style length: About 1.9 cm. Style color: Close to             145D. Ovary color: Close to 144B. Fruits and seeds: Fruit             and seed development has not been observed on plants of the             new Verbena. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Verbena have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 5° C. to about 40° C. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Verbena have not been     observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Verbena     plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Verbena plant named ‘Duempfre14’ as illustrated and described. 